Justice League United Book 1
by Warlic Elfire
Summary: What happened after Smallville? Now that Clark has fulfilled his destiny and become Superman, "a Silver Age of heroism" has begun, as legendary heroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Green Lantern join the Justice League. But with new heroes, comes new threats. Marionette Ventures gains new members, as old enemies of The Batman escape Arkum. The world will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1

Justice League United Book 1

Notes: This story happens in a world where the television show Smallville and the movies The Green Lantern, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight are canon. This leads to some problems, such as Apokolips nearly crashing into earth and the Vigilante Registration act not being mentioned in The Green Lantern and the problems in Gotham not being mentioned in Smallville. If you have not watched this show and these movies, you could be confused at some of the references and the blank spots between sections of the story. Also, my Wonder Woman is loosely based on the failed TV show. The dates will also be somewhat different as I will be going by Smallville time, and in my story The Dark Knight happens about a year before Season 10 of Smallville begins, and The Green Lantern happens about a year after Season 10 ends. (The Dark Knight Rises is ignored here, as the events in that movie would not happen for some years.)  
P.S. I do not own any of these characters. All characters are owned by DC Comics and the makers of the respective movies/television show.

"You're not alone, Clark Kent. In all my globe-trotting, I met several others like you - a billionaire with high-tech toys and a wonderous woman who's gonna throw you for a loop." -Chloe Sullivan

August 2010

There was a knock on his door. "Master Bruce," came the familiar call from his loyal butler Alfred. "Someone is here to see you."  
"I told you, Alfred. I don't want to see anyone," groaned Bruce.  
"You're never going to get anything done if you stay cooped up in here," Alfred proclaimed as he slipped open the door and walked in. "She was quite insistent. And quite lovely."  
"Alfred..."  
"I'm just looking out for you Master Bruce," said Alfred. "You've got to have to get over Rachel eventually Master Bruce. You need to live your life, not waste it away sitting in this room."  
Bruce looked at his loyal butler, still trying to get him back into the world. Alfred was old. Not just getting on in years, but old. He'd been "getting on in years" when Bruce was just a boy. Alfred's kind face was lined with wrinkles, and the little hair he had left was white as fresh snow. But despite his age, Alfred had always had a sort of solidity, as if he would still be there long after Bruce himself had past away. He knew Alfred was just trying to help, but he simply didn't seem to understand, no matter how many times he explained it. "I can't get over her Alfred. She was ready for us to start a life together. There is no one else out there for me. Please tell her that I can't see her right now."  
"I don't think it will be that easy," said a distinctly female voice from the other side of the room.  
"I don't enjoy complete strangers sneaking into my private chambers and invading my privacy," he said, turning around.  
"I'm well aware that me coming in here has upset your ego and now you need to act threatening to appease it," she said, stepping into the light. "I've known my fair share of billionaires. I know all about your egos."  
Alfred chuckled. "She's got a point there Master Bruce."  
"Shut up Alfred," muttered Bruce. "Now, if you would please leave us, my butler and I have some important things to discuss."  
"I'm not finished," she stated firmly.  
Bruce looked her over, wondering who this mysterious woman was. She looked ordinary enough, with a short, almost pixie haircut with her blonde hair, peach skin, and blue-green eyes. She was fairly attractive, with a young-looking face, which contrasted with her eyes, which revealed either a much older age, or harsh circumstances. She wore business casual, with a expensive-looking pencil skirt, blouse, and dress jacket. Over all, she had the appearance of a business woman who had climbed her way to the top despite her good looks rather than because of them.  
"My name is Chloe Sullivan, a former reporter from the daily planet, though these days I'm known as Watchtower. I know who you really are. I know the truth, Batman."  
"Batman?" asked Bruce, shocked. "I may be many things, but I am not the man who killed Harvey Dent."  
"I never said you were," she said with a smile. "I said you were Batman. I also said that I know the truth. I know that the Batman did not kill Harvey Dent. I know someone who was able to tell me something about what happened. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to find out the truth."  
"That's very sweet of you," assured Bruce. "But I am not the Batman."  
"Please," Chloe laughed. "I'm just surprised that I was the first one to figure it out. You go into hiding just after Batman hangs up his cape? Way obvious."  
"She's got a point there, Master Bruce," came the not so helpful comment from Alfred.  
"Look at yourself!" she exclaimed. "You used to be Gotham's most eligible bachelor, and the Batman! Now you sit here all day doing nothing. This city needs Bruce Wayne. And more importantly, this city needs the Batman. If you're willing to climb out of your hole, come to this fundraiser tonight." She handed him a flyer for some fundraiser/ball, raising money to build schools in India. "See you there." She walked out of the room, vanishing from sight.  
Bruce looked at himself in the mirror. She was right, he looked terrible. Dressed in a bathrobe, his face was haggard and unshaven. He leaned on a cane, the after-affects of his experiences as Batman. He needed to get cleaned up and back into shape. "Alfred," he said, "dust for fingerprints and search all databases for the names Chloe Sullivan and Watchtower."  
"And what will you be doing in the meantime?" asked Alfred.  
"Getting ready for a party."

The doors of the fancy black sports car opened, revealing Bruce Wayne, now shaven and dressed up, though still leaning on a cane. It took the reporters and photographers a few seconds to realise who it was, but as soon as they did, the shout went up, "It's Bruce Wayne!" "Mister Wayne!" Cameras flashed as he walked into the ornate building. As he went into the ballroom he was greeted by old friends, acquaintances, rivals, business parters, and complete strangers. He was at the drinks when Chloe came up to him. She had changed into a startling blue evening gown with a swooping neckline, her short hair was gathered into a bun, and she wore a diamond necklace and earrings.  
"Gifts from your billionaire friend?" asked Bruce as she walked up to him.  
"I'm glad you decided to get out of that stuffy mansion of yours," she said, evading the question.  
"I guess I just needed a kick in the rear to get me going again," responded Bruce.  
"Well, when you're ready to get back into the game, call this number," she said, handing him a card for "Clark Kent, Daily Planet".  
"Don't worry," she said, "He's one of us. A hero. He can get you connected to others."  
"A superhero masquerading as a reporter," laughed Bruce. "How original. You know, I did a search for the name Chloe Sullivan on all my databases and found nothing. I even looked you up on every government database, nothing. Chloe Sullivan doesn't exist. So then I checked the fingerprints you left on a counter. Also nothing. Your fingerprints don't match anything in the government database. According to the government, you don't exist."  
"What's the point of going off the grid if anyone can just check my fingerprints or look up my name and find out who I am?" Chloe asked. "It's so much easier if you don't exist."  
"Of course," he muttered.  
"Remember," she said, walking away. "The world needs heroes like you." And with that, she vanished into the crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

October 2010

Corporate executive Diana Prince closed the door as she walked out of another meeting, ending her workday. Sometimes she wished to be back home, where life was simple, the people were nice, and you didn't have to deal with the stress of work. But this was the whole reason she had left home, to experience what it was to be American. The life of a corporate executive was certainly different from the life of an Amazon princess. Back on Paradise Island, they didn't have all this technology in everyday life, but here she had to work past sexism and bigotry to get to the top of the corporate ladder. Now she was the Chief Executive of Sales. But all her corporate climbing was nothing compared to her favored pastime: fighting crime.  
As the vigilante Wonder Woman, Diana was Los Angeles's greatest crime fighter, its greatest celebrity, and its greatest mystery. In a town of celebrities who act as heroes in movies and TV shows, a real hero made the perfect celebrity. She got many of the perks of being a celebrity with few of the problems. As Wonder Woman she could save the day and have everyone cheer for her, while as Diana Prince she could relax at home without the paparazzi swarming her and watching everything she did. But then again, those same paparazzi were very determined to discover her secret identity.  
Sliding into the restroom, she checked to make sure no one was watching. We wouldn't want someone finding out her secret identity, would we? In the restroom she quickly changed into Wonder Woman. Just then, she heard something on the police radio.  
"We've got a robbery on Main, perpetrator has a bag of stolen jewels, and we are in pursuit."  
Diana ran out of the restroom, lasso in hand. She was close enough to Main Street, she could run there and catch the crook easily. So she ran, and as her legs pumped she started running faster than the cars around her. Leaping over taxis, buses, and pedestrians, she made her way to Main Street.  
"It's Wonder Woman!" came the cry.  
"Wonder Woman!"  
"Wonder Woman"  
Soon enough she was on Main Street with a news helicopter on her tail. Then she saw him, running across car roofs in the congested traffic. She leaped over a row of cars, unfurling her lasso as she went. As she landed, she threw her lasso, wrapping it around the crook's neck, yanking him to the ground. All the pedestrians cheered as the police gathered up the stolen goods and Wonder Woman waved to the crowd. How could the Vigilante Registration Act possibly pass when everyone adored her so much? When she was done basking, Diana ran off, leaving the crowds and press behind her.  
After a while she slipped behind a run-down old building, checking to make sure she had left any tails behind, she kneeled down, gathering up the strength in her legs, and leap up to the top of the building, where her invisible airplane was waiting, a wonder of Amazonian technology. As she got in her plane, she thought she saw someone watching, but when she looked again, no one was there. She got in the jet and flew off.  
As she flew off, a mysterious figure watched, following the signal from a tracking device placed on the plane.  
Back at home, Diana sat on the couch, watching a movie with her police scanner on just in case. She thought about her ex-boyfriend Steve Trevor, the U.S. Army veteran. They had been dating ever since he had crash landed on Paradise Island and she had brought him back to America. But when Diana told Steve that she was Wonder Woman, he was furious that she would keep a secret like that from him and he broke up with her.  
Just then a knock at her door broke her out of that depressing line of thought. She opened the door, revealing a twenty-something young caucasian woman of average height, short blonde hair, and blue-green eyes, wearing a business casual blouse, pencil skirt and dress jacket.  
"Hello," she said warmly. "May I come in?"  
"Sure..." said Diana, somewhat suspicious at the sudden appearance of this mysterious woman.  
"My name is Chloe Sullivan, former reporter for the Daily Planet," she started. "But in our circles, I'm mostly just known as Watchtower."  
"Our circles?" asked Diana, thinking she was talking about the world of business, with her appearance, but a eery feeling was creeping up her spine.  
Chloe lifted up a small device. "See this?" she asked. "This is one part of a two part tracking device. The other part is attached to your invisible airplane."  
Diana was shocked. How could this woman know about the invisible airplane? And if she knew about the airplane, then...  
"I know who you are, Wonder Woman," Chloe stated. "I work with superheroes like you. Star City's Green Arrow, Metropolis's Blur, and many others. Secret identities are my bread and butter.".  
"How did you find out?" Diana asked, not knowing what else to say.  
"I had some help from a helmet that can see the future," Chloe said, shocking Diana even more. "But all I had to do was follow you to your plane, and where you vanished would be the place to throw the tracker."  
"But I was running faster than any car!" exclaimed Diana. "How did you follow me?"  
"I may not have any powers of my own," began Chloe, "but I've still got a couple tricks up my sleeve."  
"Well," started Diana, "Why are you here?"  
"To offer an invitation," Chloe responded. "There is a team of people like you, heroes with abilities. If you ever need backup, or just decide you want to meet others like you, call this number," she said, handing Diana a card.  
"Clark Kent, Daily Planet," Diana read aloud, raising a eyebrow.  
"It's okay," laughed Chloe. "He's one of us."  
"One of us," whispered Diana. "I'll think about it."  
"See to it that you do," Chloe said. "And Diana?"  
"Yes?"  
"Don't worry. You're secret is safe with me." She turned to leave, but then spun back around. "I almost forgot," she said, "You might want to lay low this holiday season. The VRA's going to pass." And with that she walked out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

June 2012

Armed robber James Smith ran for his life through the streets of Coast City, bag of cash in hand. Everything had been going great. He and his men had burst into the bank, guns in hand, and had started taking all the money. Now his men were gone, and he was running from a freaking force of nature! He saw a flash of emerald light behind him, and he leaped to the side just in time to keep himself from being grabbed by a giant green hand. He scrambled back up to his feet and continued running, leaving the money behind him. All that mattered now was escape. He made a sharp turn just as more emerald light smashed into a brick wall, smashing it to pieces. He had run out of breathe when the chase started, and he wasn't sure he could run much longer. Suddenly, a giant green spiderweb appeared before him, and he ran right into it.  
He fought to escape the web, but the more he struggled, the more he stuck. As he struggled, a being surrounded by emerald light flew toward him.  
"No!" James shouted, to scared to see anything but the alien emerald light.  
"Calm down!" shouted the figure, but James just kept screaming. Then the figure slugged him in the chin, knocking him out.

Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern of Earth, knew he shouldn't have done that, but that guy really needed to shut up. "I guess you don't become a criminal because your the most sane person in the world," he said to himself. He formed dissolved the web construct and formed a giant hand to pick up the unconscious crook. After depositing him and his likewise unconscious compatriots in a prison cell, Hal flew off into the night. It had been three weeks since he had defeated Parallax, and things had really calmed down. He'd even been able to research other superheroes, like LA's Wonder Woman and Metropolis's Blur, who revealed himself as Superman when an alien planet nearly crashed into Earth a little over a year ago.  
Just as he was thinking about meeting these other superheroes, red and blue flashed in the sky far in the distance, stopping an instant later directly in front of him. "Superman?" asked Hal, amazed at such an amazing coincidence.  
"Yep," the red and blue boy scout said smiling.  
"What are you doing here?" asked Hal.  
"Would you mind having this conversation on the ground?" asked Superman.  
"Okay," said Hal, not understanding. When they landed on the ground, there was a flash of red, and suddenly, standing right next to Superman was a teen in a red hoodie with yellow lightning bolts.  
"Green Lantern," started Superman, "meet Impulse."  
"Actually, its 'The Flash' now," he said.  
Just then another flash of red, this time coming from the sky, materialized into a African American man in a green shirt and violet jacket. "And this is the Martian Manhunter," introduced Superman. "The sole survivor of Mars."  
"Anybody else joining the party?" he asked. "Oliver Queen, maybe?"  
"Nope," laughed Superman. "Only those of us with super speed were invited."  
Just then, a golden pentacle surrounded by mystic runes of the same hue appeared in the air behind Superman, out of which stepped a woman in a outfit that was a cross between stage magician and sexy assistant, fishnets and all.  
"Zatanna?!" exclaimed Superman, obviously shocked. "What are you doing here?"  
"I couldn't let you boys have all the fun, now could I?" she asked with a bordering-on-seductive smirk.  
At this Superman just muttered something under his breath. "And this is Zatanna, mistress of magic."  
"There's no such thing as magic," was Hal's instant reply.  
"You've got a ring that makes stuff out of green light, and you don't believe in magic?" Flash asked incredulously.  
"It's not magic," began Hal, "It's exceedingly advanced alien technology."  
"We can discuss our abilities later," remarked the Martian Manhunter. "We came here for a reason."  
"Right," said Superman, the Justice League would like to invite you to join its ranks and aid us in defending the innocent and bringing justice to the guilty."  
Hal was suddenly angry. They wanted him to join them? Where were they when Parallax attacked? Was the Man of Steel there to battle Parallax? No. He was the only one who even tried to stop it. "Where were you when Parallax was sucking the life out of hundreds of people!?"  
"We weren't able to be there," said Superman, obviously angry about the fact. "We were trapped in an alternate dimension at the time, almost as if someone didn't want us stopping this 'Parallax'. So before you start pointing fingers, you should think about who's behind this. Because it seems to me that this is part of something bigger. And if we're going to stop it, we're going to need all the help we can get."  
That stopped Hal. If Parallax really was a pawn in some greater scheme, who was controlling it? Who, or more likely, what, could could control something so immensely powerful?  
"If there was something controlling those events, then this could be a whole lot bigger. I'll join your little boy scout troop."  
"Not exactly the response we were expecting," said the martian, "but I guess we'll take it."  
"So," said Hal, "Where's the treehouse?"  
This was answered with a shared grin from Superman and Flash, as well as another smirk from Zatanna. Zatanna portaled away, and Superman and Flash dashed off. The martian shook his head, laughing at their childishness. He beckoned for Hal to follow and flew away at a more reasonable pace.

"What took you so long?" asked Flash when Hal and the martian arrived at the Watchtower. Hal was impressed. The place could be seen from anywhere in Metropolis, and was filled with high-tech computers and other technical equipment.  
"Now that you're a member of the team," began Flash. "I guess we need to tell you are secret identities."  
"Not necessarily," corrected Martian Manhunter. "The choice to reveal your identity will always be your own."  
"Well, I think he should know my name," responded Flash. "I'm Bart. Nice to meet you," Bart said, holding out his hand.  
Hal gladly shook it. "Now you're making me feel all warm and fuzzy," he mocked.  
A computer screen suddenly flashed. "Meteor infected attacking central subway station," it stated in its robotic monotone. Hal and Superman leaped to their feet.  
"Welcome to the team," said Superman with a grin.  
Hal grinned back. "Wait," he said, suddenly confused. "What's a meteor infected?"


	4. Chapter 4

3 days later

Arkham Asylum. Home of Gotham's most insane and dangerous criminals. Or at least it was. After the passing of the Den Act, (an act passed after Harvey Dent's death that allowed cops to imprison convicts without the option of bail, as well as other things) convicts could no longer plead insanity. So the inmates at Arkham were all sent one by one to Blackgate Prison. All that remained in Arkham were the very worst, and most obviously insane prisoners, and even they were due to be shipped to Blackgate. Among the remaining inmates were Jonathan Crane, formerly known as Scarecrow, and the Joker.  
Both were promising prospects, as their individual reigns of terrors showed. But neither were perfect. He supposed it wasn't their fault, their species was simply not evolved enough to truly understand any emotion, much less the most powerful emotion of all. As he neared the Asylum, he considered who was best. The "Joker" was a master at manipulating other's fears, but he himself could not devote himself to fear. Either he would not allow himself to feel fear, or his fragmented state of mind did not allow fear. But Scarecrow, on the other hand, was entirely devoted to fear. His "fear gas" was a marvelous invention for such a primitive life form. He would be perfect.

Jonathan Crane sat in his cell, staring at the ceiling. He was due to be shipped out soon. Then he was going to be in another prison just like this one, but with even more security. If he wished to escape, he would have to do it now, while the guards were all moving to reinforce the prison. But then again, what good would it do? But what again, who could stop him? The Batman was gone, had been for years. There was no one to fear. Just as he was thinking up an escape plan, a large portion of his wall and ceiling exploded.  
"Well, that really screws up my plan," he sighed.  
A magenta skinned alien with pointed ears, black hair, and yellow tights surrounded by yellow light floated through the new hole.  
"Not a bad entrance," laughed Crane wearily. "But a pink man in a yellow suit isn't exactly imposing. In fact, you look pretty feminine, especially with those pixie ears of yours."  
The alien lifted an eyebrow. "Are you not afraid?" He blasted a hole in another wall.  
"Honestly," sighed Crane. "I have lost the ability to fear. I don't know why, possibly due to overexposure to my own fear gas, but now the only thing with the ability to frighten me is the Batman. And he's gone."  
The alien revealed a proud smirk, opening his hand, revealing a yellow and black ring, identical to one on the alien's finger. "That can be easily remedied. Take this ring, and you shall wield the power of fear once again. All will fear you."  
"I won't have to dress like you, would I?" Crane asked.  
"The suit modifies as you will it," the alien replied. "It may appear any way you wish."  
Jonathan Crane stretched forth his hand, and the ring flew onto his finger.  
"Very good," the alien smiled as he flew away.  
Yellow light surrounded Jonathan Crane, wrapping him in it's embrace. He pictured the Scarecrow in his mind, now infused with the yellow light of fear. When the light vanished, he felt his face, feeling the familiar touch of his mask.  
"I am the Scarecrow!" he shouted, blasting the cell door open with the ring. "And all will fear me!"

Bruce Wayne sat in his manor, thinking about what had happened in the past few years. Ever since Chloe Sullivan had come to his manor, things had really turned around. He had cleaned himself up, got back into shape, and was even able to not only walk without his cane, but run and leap as well. He had pulled his company from the edge of bankruptcy, and the company had flourished since. The Dent Act had eliminated organized crime, and the manhunt for the Batman had died down. He might have even returned to being the Batman, but Gotham no longer needed the Batman.  
But the most interesting things where what happened outside of Gotham. Ever since Chloe Sullivan had come and talked to him, he had monitored the other heroes. Who would have thought that Oliver Queen, billionaire playboy philanthropist was a masked vigilante? But then again, wasn't Bruce exactly the same thing? And then there was the Blur. A hero who moved so fast the most you ever saw was a blur. He had only revealed himself as the hero Superman when a planet nearly crashed into earth. Since then, Superman had become Metropolis's greatest hero, and the earth's as well. What was a man in a suit compared to that?  
Still, Sullivan's words kept coming back into his mind. "Remember, the world needs heroes like you." What if she was right? Even if Gotham didn't need him, what about all the other cities in the world? Superman may be incredibly strong and fast, but even he couldn't be everywhere at once. The world was a big place, and their was plenty of room for the Batman.  
"Master Bruce?" came the call from Alfred. "You might want to take a look at this."  
Bruce went down the stairwell to see Arkham on television, up in flames.  
"It looks like the decision is out of my hands," he said.  
"Master Bruce?" asked Alfred. "What exactly might you be doing?"  
"I'm bringing back the Batman."

Beat cop Jonah Jacobs had a cruddy job. He had always wanted to be a police officer, but after twenty years in the force, he was sick of it. He was always picked to babysit the rookies. Sammy Johnson was a new recruit, just entered the force, and he thought he was the bee's knees. For goodness sakes, he hadn't even seen the Batman in action. The kid had nothin to be so proud about. He was just like his father, Detective Rick Johnson. Rick had been a rookie back when the Batman had first appeared. Harvey Dent had befriended him, and he had taken Harvey's death badly. He had been one of the most diligent Batman hunters. Personally, Jonah didn't believe one bit of it. He had seen the Batman in action many times, and he had never done anything but protect the people of Gotham and beat up criminals. He was too old for idealism, but it just didn't fit. A hero who spends his time fighting crime wouldn't just kill Harvey Dent and all those other people.  
Just then his thoughts where interrupted by a bout of swearing from little Sammy's mouth.  
"I can't believe there's a prison break in Arkham and they have us sitting hear!" he shouted.  
"We're hear to block the escape of anyone who comes down this road," Jonah replied wearily. "You have to think with your head sometimes. This is the only way out of Arkham, unless you fancy taking a swim, so someone needs to be hear."  
Sammy was about to argue when something flashed past them, except it wasn't leaving, but entering. Jonah spied the familiar form of a black tank, flying into Arkham.  
"What is that?" asked Sammy.  
"The Batman," answered Jonah, amazed to see it after the years of absence.  
Sammy picked up his radio. "We are on the Arkham bridge, just spotted Batman heading toward the Asylum. I repeat, Batman is heading into the Asylum."  
"What are you doing kid?" asked Jonah, shocked.  
"The man who murdered Harvey Dent is going to help those lunatics, and you want to do nothing!" the kid nearly screamed.  
"You're a lunatic," swore Jonah. "Batman fights criminals, not helps them. You really need to learn you're history."  
The fight was cut short as a explosion erupted in Arkham, and something encased in yellow light flew out of the asylum into the sky.  
"What the..."

Bruce stopped the Batmobile in front of Arkham, leaping out. A few inmates came at him with crowbars, but it was child's play to disarm them, knock them out, and then cuff them to a pole. He went through Arkham, knocking out the inmates as he went. But when he reached his destination, his worst fears where realized. Both Scarecrow's and Joker's cells where smoking piles of rubble, with neither in sight.  
"Oh Batman!" came the call from outside.  
Bruce rushed through a hole in the wall to see Joker at the wheel of a prison van.  
"See you later, Batman!" he cried. "And don't forget to right!" With that he drove off, Bruce unable to follow. He ran to the Batmobile, but before he could get there a explosion blasted him backward twenty feet. He shook it off, and looked to around.  
Flying above him was Scarecrow, back in his mask and wearing a black trench coat. Underneath the trench coat was a strange yellow shirt with a strange symbol on it.  
"Remember me?!" Scarecrow shouted. "You may have beat me before, but now I'm unstoppable!" He raised his right hand, which was glowing, and sent a blast of yellow energy at him.  
"Looks like you've learned some new tricks, Crane," remarked Bruce.  
"Oh, yes indeed," laughed Crane. "But unfortunately I can't share them all with you tonight. World to terrorize and all that." With that he flew off into the night sky.  
"I might need a little help with this one," muttered Bruce.


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: Sorry for the late update, been busy with school. And please comment! I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing.

The next day

Bruce woke up with a massive headache, shaking his head. If it wasn't for the fact that he hadn't had any alcohol last night, he would have thought he had a hangover.  
"Good morning Master Bruce," Alfred said, putting a breakfast platter on the bedside table. "I was watching the news last night. Quite a spectacular performance by the Batman I must say."  
"Crane and Joker got away, Alfred," replied Bruce. "They were the ones that mattered. Those lunatics I put away were just the tip of the iceberg. Joker and Crane will find more like them."  
"You've beaten them before, haven't you?" asked Alfred. "It should be simple enough to do it again."  
"You didn't see what I saw, Alfred," sighed Bruce. "Crane wasn't his usual scary self. He was much worse."  
"How so?" questioned Alfred.  
"He blasted me with some sort of light," said Bruce. "It was like that guy in Coast City, but yellow and sinister."  
"Perhaps now might be the time to contact that Kent fellow the lovely Miss Sullivan told you about."  
"Maybe," considered Bruce.  
"Speaking of which," began Alfred. "This came in the mail this morning."  
It was an invitation to the LexCorp annual charity ball, hosted by Lex Luthor, one of the richest men in the world and a fierce anti-vigilante advocate. Lex almost had a more interesting past then Bruce. A year after going missing after a mission to Arctic, a truck exploded in downtown Metropolis, and remains inside were proven to be Lex's, or so everyone thought. Lex miraculously reappeared two years later with amnesia. He had since renamed his father's company of LuthorCorp to LexCorp and risen farther than his father ever hand through everything from military contracts to recycling projects. Though he didn't have any proof, Bruce suspected some criminal activity as well.  
"What better reason for a billionaire to be in metropolis than visiting another billionaire?" asked Alfred.  
"Alfred," Bruce said smiling, "you're a genius."

Diana Prince walked into the CEO's office with apprehension. Sam Wright did not call you to his office lightly. She knocked on the door.  
"Come in," his gruff voice came from inside the office.  
Wright was a short, stocky man, who you would never have believed was a CEO if it weren't for the expensive suit and other adornments. He was a rude, angry man, who had brought his small electronics company to the top through risky moves and aggressive takeovers. Since then it had expanded to weapons technology, home appliances, and everything in-between. He wasn't a sexist like many of his underlings, but that was just because he was rude to everyone.  
"Sit down," he said, obviously deep in thought. "You may not have known, but I have been considering a merger with LexCorp."  
"LexCorp?" asked Diana, a bit shocked. She had heard about Luthor's "death" and amnesia, but she also knew from spying on a criminal meeting, right before handing their buts to them of course, that Lex had criminal enterprises all over America, if not the world.  
"Yes, LexCorp," he replied, curious about her reaction. "After the suicide of Tess Mercer and Mr Luthor's return, Queen Industries separated from LuthorCorp, leaving a space in LexCorp which we may fill. As one of my most trusted executives, I want you to accompany me and several other executives to Metropolis to negotiate terms."  
Diana remembered something from a few years back. What was it? Something about other superheroes. Chloe! That was it! Chloe Sullivan gave her the number of someone to contact in Metropolis. If she was already going, what harm was there in checking it out?  
Diana looked at Wright. "When do I leave?"

They all sat around a circular table in a dark room, waiting for the meeting to begin. One of them fidgeted in a seat far to small for him, despite being larger than everyone else's. Some were brooding, some were thinking, and others were scowling. Just then screens set on the center of the table turned on, illuminating the room, for some of them giving them a first glimpse of the others at the table. Some where familiar, while others were completely new.  
"Good evening, my fellow compatriots of Marionette Ventures!" came the cheerful, almost childish voice of the chubby, spectacled, greasy haired man on a the screen. "I am oh so sorry for all the silence, but my means of greeting you was taken away. For those of you who were shareholders the first go around, we have a new mission. The waterfront properties of Metropolis just aren't a big enough target anymore. Now we will do so much more."  
"For those of you who are new, I believe introductions are in order! The large grey man over there in the exceedingly good-looking tux is Solomon Grundy, and old friend of mine. The man in the black helmet in Black Manta, and the older gentleman in blue next to him is Leonard Snart, also known as Captain Cold. The man with the black hood and fancy bow is my old pap Vordigan, the Dark Archer. The girl in the fancy red dress is Roulette, and the man with the glowing chest is John Corben, who also likes the name Metallo."  
"Now for the newcomers!" he said gleefully. "The lady dressed in the black leather is Plastique, and the boy beside her is Parasite. The woman in the business suit is Barbara Minerva, also known as the Cheetah. She doesn't look like much, but be careful, she bites. And my favorite new additions, the three men hiding in the corners, come out!"  
From one corner came the Joker, wearing his trademark makeup and long purple coat. "My new pal the Joker here is all kinds of fun!" cheered Toyman. "I can't wait for you to play with him!"  
Then from another corner came Scarecrow in all his sinister glory. "The man with the mask and spooky light is the Scarecrow, perfect for halloween decorations, hanging up in a field, or destroying things and putting fear in people's hearts."  
Then of the last occupied corner came a heavily muscled man in black tights and cape with a golden lightning bolt on his chest, as well as deep, terrifying eyes and black hair with a widow's peak."This frightening fellow is Black Adam, possibly the one person who could take on Superman alone and win!" Toyman laughed crazily. "Together, not even the Justice League stands a chance against us!


	6. Goodbye

I am sorry for not writing in recent months, but my iPhone, which I was using to write my stories, malfunctioned, and I had to reset it, erasing my stories. I have decided, that instead of continuing to write fanfiction, I will focus on my full length novel. If you see anything by Jonathan Kruyer in a book store within the next few years, that's mine. Hopefully I will come back and finish my work here, but in case I don't, good bye and good reading!


End file.
